Save Me From Myself
by mutt712
Summary: "Accepting all the good and bad about someone. It's a great thing to aspire to. The hard part is actually doing it." Draco and Hermione return for their 7th year. Not your usual Redemption Draco & Self-Sacrificing Hermione. No, these two learn the true meaning of love as they reveal themselves to one another - the good, bad and ugly...for better or for worse.
1. Chapter 1

**So...I have a new idea. I'm pretty tired of writing the whole family, parenting thing and this just came up while I was at the hospital earlier today. **

**Please please let me know your thoughts!**

**Warning: This isn't really your Self Sacrificing Hermione or Redemption Draco. I just wanted it to feel like they were all human beings and therefore, they're imperfect :)**

**Nothing belongs to me...it all belongs to the wonderful JK ROWLING!**

* * *

Draco yawned once, making sure he stretched his jaw to the fullest. Was this _really_ happening? He could hear McGonagall's voice floating around his head. Wait, no. It was more like it was bludgeoning his skull with a beater. He yawned again and stretched his legs.

"Am I boring you Mr. Malfoy?"

The whole lot of students turned and looked at him. Well, everyone, actually, with the exception of a certain bushy haired girl who sat ramrod straight.

"Nope," he replied, popping his p. "I was merely tired from the lack of sleep yesterday."

"Then I suggest," McGonalgall continued in a sharp voice, "that you head down to the infirmary and get yourself a Pepper-up Potion."

Draco couldn't believe his luck. He was thanking every deity he never ever believed in. He sprang up from his seat, glad to have an excuse to leave the stuffy classroom. He was already at the door, pulling it wide open without a care in the world when he heard McGonagall's voice directed at him again.

"Hold on, Mr. Malfoy," she barked. "Miss Granger – will you see to it that he returns to class? For someone who's lacking in energy, you surely looked recharged at the prospect of leaving class."

"I'll go with her, Professor!" Draco almost groaned aloud. Trust Weasley to decide that it was his time to show his bravery. He waited for Potter to jump in as well but he didn't. Draco was surprised.

"Mr. Weasley, I think Miss Granger is quite capable – "

"But Professor, he might use Dark Magic that Daddy –"

"Ron, it's _fine_." Now Draco was even more surprised. It was Hermione who cut him off. "It's just the Hospital Wing. I'll be back in no time…"

"Are you sure?" The ugly redhead continued. Draco could see his freckled forehead wrinkling in concern.

"Honestly, Weasley," Draco called from where he was standing by the classroom door, tired of having to stand around like a fool. It was a fucking Pepper-up Potion, not like a tour around the fucking dark Lord's house. "I'm just heading down to see Pomfrey for a wake up potion. If _you're_ so worried why don't _you_ accompany instead? Spare us all your pathetic attempt at displaying your chivalry…"

"Oh yeah? Fuck you Malfoy, I don't take orders from you!"

"_Language, _ !"

"Ron, calm down! Just shut up and let Hermione handle it," Harry grumbled from the side. Ron had stood up so fast his chair fell back.

"Weasley, sit down!" McGonagall was furious. Her lips formed a thin line. "I asked Miss Granger and she will do it!" She turned her eyes to Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, I expect you back in class in fifteen minutes. Anything more than that and you will be greeting two weeks worth of detention on your very first week back." She turned back to the class. "Now _as I was saying…_"

Draco left as quickly as he could, not bothering to see if Granger had caught up with him. He wanted out from that stupid class and every second of his precious minute was being wasted inside there bickering with that stupid redhead.

"Hey – Malfoy – wait up!"

Draco continued walking at his own pace. Today marked the first official day of lessons at Hogwarts. It was only NEWT Level Transfiguration and he was bored as hell. It didn't help that the seventh years were reduced to a mere twenty four students either – with the bulk of them coming from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

He supposed those damn lazy Hufflepuffs were on a special retreat somewhere, collectively celebrating the fact that they never have to use their minds again now that Boy Wonder had defeated Voldemort.

Given a choice, he didn't want to return. But it was either that or be evicted from Wizarding London. It was the contract the Ministry set up for him and his family. His mother was probably volunteering long hours at St. Mungo's right now and his father was in Azkaban. He on the other hand, was thrown right back into Hogwarts. He supposed the Ministry felt safe keeping tabs of exactly where each ex-offender was.

He reckoned they got off light. Crabbe's parents were in Azkaban. Goyle himself was in Azkaban. Blaise had vanished. The only reason why they hadn't thrown Narcissa in for sheltering Voldemort was because Harry testified at her trial.

And so – here he was, back at this fucked up place where everyone hated him. The Professors looked at him with such disdain and his fellow schoolmates made a show of clearing out whichever crowded space he entered.

He supposed he was lucky that classes were pre-assigned. If they were allowed to choose their own class timings, he would probably be having one on one lessons with each of his professors.

"HEY!"

He was met with the sharp pain square in his shoulders. He turned around angrily. "What the _fuck_ Granger?"

"I told you to wait up!" She snapped, walking fast to cover the remaining gap within them. She looked a little guilty when she saw him furiously rubbing down his back. Or trying to, anyways. "It's just a mild Stinging Hex! I tried calling out to you so many times but you simply ignored me. The infirmary's that way…you're going in the opposite direction."

He noted that she looked rather tired. The spark that was usually in her eyes had dimmed out. He wasn't prepared to be this close to her. No, not after seeing her writhing around his drawing room while Aunt Bella tortured her to near insanity.

He hesitated, wondering if she'll bite his head off for what he as about to ask. "Look – I –" he hedged for another moment or two. "I wanted to go up the Astronomy Tower for a quick smoke. You could wait here. I'll be fast."

Granger opened her mouth as if to chide him, her brow was furrowed and there was that omnipresent frown upon her lips. For the second time today, she surprised him. She clamped her mouth shut and her features seemed strained for another moment before they rearranged themselves into a relaxed expression.

"It's fine. I'll join you."

Still completely bewildered, Draco decided not to question her answer. If he was with Weasley he might have had to jinx the insufferable git, Confund him and _then_ shove him in a broom closet while he quickly lit a stick. This was so much simpler.

They emerged on top of the Astronomy Tower to be bathed in the last of summer's sunshine. It was light, but starting to get chilly. Draco leaned against the brick wall and pulled out his pack of Dunhill. He was about to offer one to Hermione when he saw them she had extracted her own pack of Salem.

He quirked an eyebrow in her direction. She rolled her eyes and ignored him. "Last I checked it wasn't a _crime_ to smoke, Malfoy. Wipe that stupid look off your face, please."

It surprised him how she managed to be polite and snide at the same time. "Last I checked you were Miss Goody Two shoes, Granger."

"Yeah, well." She turned her back to him while she lit her cigarette.

He smirked. "That's all? No witty remark?" He laughed, enjoying the rising tension between them. "Goodness Granger…_what_ happened to you?"

She turned around slowly, and methodically. She looked ready to kill and Draco felt his heart hammer a little faster against his ribcage. "I think it's fair to blame some of this on your aunt, no?"

His smile dropped off his face. "I was just making a joke," he said coldly. "There was no need to be so mean about it."

"I _entertained_ your goody-two-shoes joke. You wouldn't shut up about it after that."

He noticed that even the way she smoked was feminine. He realized that saying things like that aloud could cost him a lot of hate, but he wasn't gender-stereotyping smoking. No, it was the way her fingers curled around the cigarette, all slender and smooth. It was the way her lips puckered out to suck on the bud, with a little hole to the right side of her mouth, where she exhaled so deliberately.

No, he was right. No man put that much effort into smoking.

"Sorry," she said abruptly, her eyes flickering over to his face. He knew he was watching her for too long and that he should stop. "I didn't mean to put that on you. It was her fault not yours. Besides…St. Mungo's checked me out. I'm in perfect mental health."

He honestly didn't know if she was joking. "Your actions right now make me feel as though you need a review…" His tone was light, and he made sure it wasn't dripping with sarcasm the way it usually was.

She rolled her eyes and he suspected a smile lurking around her lips. "We have another five minutes," she announced, looking back at her watch. "You better hurry up. It takes two minutes alone to walk back to class…"

_Ah, _there was the old Granger.

"What classes are you taking this year?" He asked, taking an exceptionally large drag on his cigarette, relishing the smoke climbing down his throat.

"We don't have to make conversation, you know."

"Humour me, please."

"_Fine_…basically all the NEWT Subjects they have to offer…Herbology, Potions, DADA, Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes…um…History of Magic and Astronomy."

"Looks like I'll be seeing you everyday, Granger."

"Oh, joy," she replied flatly. He chuckled at this and he saw a reluctant smile forming on her face. It was gone quickly. "We better go," she said.

He nodded and stubbed out his cigarette beneath the heel of his foot. He walked down the stairs of the Astronomy Tower two at a time and this time Draco made sure he kept his pace matching to hers.

"Hold on," she muttered, when they were a hundred feet away from class. She turned to him and pulled out he wand. Draco almost jumped back but she casted a warming Charm around his face. It made him glower. "Perfect," she said. "Now you look as red as you would have if you've had the potion…" She trained her wand on him again and Draco felt the air around him become considerably lighter. "So we don't smell," she clarified.

It took him a moment to realize she had casted a Disinfectant Charm around them. The stench of the cigarettes they smoked was gone. He smelt like the Infirmary. He wanted to gag.

"Not a word to Ron and Harry, alright?" They were walking the remaining steps back to class and Draco glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He nodded, too lazy to utter words for her benefit. She didn't want Boy Wonder and Weasel finding out – fine. He didn't really give a fuck.

"Ah Miss Granger, right on time! Excellent. Mr. Malfoy, I see you're looking…_alive_."

Draco sank back into his seat. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

"I'm so sorry you had to put up with that awful bastard," Ron commented, for the umpteenth time during lunch. It was starting to get on her nerves. "Must be the worse fifteen minutes of your life."

Hermione pulled over the bowl of roasted potatoes. She wanted to reply that the worse few minutes in her life was when Ron decided to march out of their tent back when they were Horcrux hunting. Or when Hagrid brought Harry's limp body back from the Forest. And especially when she had to charm her parent's memory away.

Sharing a smoke with Draco Malfoy was _not_ the worse few minutes of her life. Ginny seemed to have caught onto her silence and she nudged her brother in the ribs. "Leave it be, Ron. Hermione's a big girl."

Hermione smiled appreciatively at Ginny. She understood how annoying it was to be pitied like a weakling. So she didn't feel threatened by Draco Malfoy, so what? She didn't need protection. She wasn't three for the love of Merlin.

After her split with Ron over the summer, he'd gone out of his way to prove that he was indeed the caring, protective man for her. It wasn't winning her heart – it was driving her out of her mind. Hermione reasoned that the kiss they shared during the War boiled down to pure adrenaline.

Once they buried Fred, Remus and Tonks, reality came crashing and suddenly, Hermione didn't feel as though there was space for a budding romantic relationship in her life. She simply wanted to find her parents and spend the summer with them.

It was quite the opposite for Harry and Ginny however. They sought comfort in one another, and while Hermione was happy for them, she was also extremely glad they didn't turn into one of those happy, sappy couples.

No, they had seen too much. When they walked into the room, everyone could tell these two were mad for one another, but they didn't feel the need for overt displays of affection to prove that.

Very much unlike Ron who was trying to sneak his arm around her waist right now. "Ron, _stop it_," Hermione hissed, dropping her fork with a clang onto her plate. "I'm not a fucking child!" Ron looked astounded. He removed his offending arm.

"I was just –"

"No, I know what you're trying to do," Hermione cut him off abruptly. She looked back at her potatoes and slices of roast beef. Her appetite was gone. She didn't need all this drama from Ron. She just wanted a normal first day back. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just going to go and catch up on my reading, alright?"

"Hermione, come back here," Harry called, looking tired. "Just ignore Ron and have a proper lunch…it's going to be a long day."

She smiled weakly at Harry and continued slinging her bag over her shoulder. "No it's fine. I'm in a crabby mood anyways. I'll catch up with you when I'm feeling better." Lie after lie. She was getting used to this.

"You do that," Ron called out in what he assumed was a comforting voice as she swung her legs over the bench. She glared at him.

Harry let out a very disgruntled sigh while Ginny looked ready to strangle her brother. She quickly kissed Harry's cheek and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall.

They walked in silence side by side for a few minutes before Hermione turned to Ginny with a frown on her face. "I wasn't trying to be spiteful," she said.

"I know you weren't. Ron doesn't pick up on social cues like normal human beings do, Hermione."

"Ugh!" she cried, stamping her foot irritatedly. 'I just wanted a normal year back here you know? And with Ron breathing down my neck...trying to win me over at every possible turn…"

"So there's really no hope for the both of you?" Ginny asked, somewhat sadly.

Hermione looked out at the Great Lake they had just reached for a little while longer. She studied the soft ripples that the Giant Squid was making before answering Ginny. "I don't think so, Gin. My heart just isn't in it at this point of time."

"I know, I know…it's just that we were rooting for you two, you know?"

Hermione snorted. "Really?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, smiling a little. "You seemed like the only one who was willing and able to put up with Ron's nonsense. We all had a bet running, Harry, myself, Fred and George…even Dad. We always thought you guys were going to end up together, so we were betting on _when_."

Hermione laughed. "Who won?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Fred," Ginny replied, grinning. "He was smart though. He bet that you two would get together but break up within the span of two weeks. Which you did...he would have laughed if he were around."

"Malfoy wasn't that bad," Hermione was eager to change the subject. Talking about their lost loved ones was a slippery slope. She could bawl any minute and she really had no intentions of entering class looking all puff eyed. "He kept to himself and he didn't really call me a Mudblood or anything."

Ginny looked a little surprised at this information. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. I mean, without Voldemort or his parents…he can act on his own free will now cant he?"

"He always acted on his own free will."

"You really believe that?"

"There's always a choice, Ginny. He chose the easy one...and well…he's paying for it now I guess."

* * *

Draco picked at his lunch like a petulant two year old. There was no house table. There were only four long tables where students sat at random. They were mostly seated around their peers but as usual there was a wide berth around him. It was as though he repelled people in general.

He wasn't really feeling sorry for himself, but he really hated that they thought he was as good as scum. He chuckled inwardly at the thought of _telling his father._ He had to figure out how to get his letters to Azkaban in the first place.

There was a small commotion going on further down the table. For the second time that day, he found himself wondering what was on Granger's mind. She left the table in a huff with the She Weasel following closely behind.

The way she looked at Weasel himself spelt death and Draco could tell that Potter wasn't too happy with his friend either. He wondered what was causing the rift between them?

He shook his head and prepared to leave the Great Hall as well. There was no point sitting here anyway. He should get to Potions…make a head start or at least do something purposeful. Enduring the glances and frightened whispers felt exhausting.

He trudged along the corridor, still absorbed in his thoughts. He wondered if Slughorn would even glance at him, considering the dirt his name was in. He wouldn't be surprised if Slughorn purposely avoided teaching him so as to maintain his stellar set of students.

"Malfoy."

Draco turned around, not really recognizing the voice. He saw bright green, tired eyes staring at him. He slowed his pace but never really stopped. What the fuck could Potter want?

"How's your mother?"

"Do you mean that as a joke? I'll fucking sock you in the eye-"

"Sod off," Potter replied frowning. "I was really asking about her well-being. I heard the Ministry was planning to be harsh –"

"Well, she's currently emptying out bedpans at St. Mungo's without magic. That's her sentence. I think dabbling in human filth is harsh as it gets."

"That sucks," Potter replied, shaking his head. Draco could see genuine empathy and he hated it. He didn't like being pitied. He thought his comment might revolt Potter enough to throw him off the topic and more importantly, off the urge to have a conversation.

"Whatever."

"Could you not be such a prick, Malfoy?" Potter asked. He sounded weary.

"I don't know if I can," Draco replied, sneering at Potter who was now walking with him to Potions. What was with the Golden Trio? He really hoped he wasn't going to be forced into a conversation with Weasel later. He might have to gorge out his own eyeballs if that happened.

Potter laughed. "Yeah, you're right about that."

"Shut up. Why aren't you with Weasel and Weaselette anyway?"

"They were bickering too much. I needed to get away."

"Right." He really didn't care.

They came to a halt when they reached the Potions classroom. It was no longer in the dungeons where Snape liked it. It was an ordinary classroom where light could stream through.

"Look, Malfoy…it's going to be a long year –"

"Tell me something I don't know, Potter."

"-and I thought if we could agree not to piss one another off it would be good."

Draco looked down at the hand Potter was offering him. It felt strange. Did he really think they were in junior league soccer? That a simple handshake could put everything that they had gone through behind them?

"Are you fucking serious?" Draco asked flatly, fearing that Potter was in fact for real.

If anything, Potter looked more determined. "Come on, Malfoy. It's going to be a long year. Agreeing not to take the piss out of one another means that you and I can both avoid exchanging insults on a daily basis."

"Afraid your brains are going to get fried then?"

"Not as much as much as you should fear your hairline receding, Malfoy."

"Fuck you."

Potter finally dropped his hand. Draco tried to push against the potions classroom door, but it wouldn't budge. Fucking Slughorn and his tardiness!

"Fine," Draco grouched after a few long minutes. He hoped Potter wouldn't make a big deal out of it. He would rally jinx him if he did. School rules be damned.

"Good," Harry replied.

* * *

Hermione walked up to Potions, with Ginny and Ron at her heels. Ron had caught up with them as they walked back into the Castle and he was whining about how Harry had slipped off as well. Hermione could tell Ginny was on the brink of casting her Bat Bogey Hex on Ron.

She saw a couple of students milling outside the classroom, most of them looking uninterested and bored. At the head of the queue, she saw Harry standing next to Malfoy. She wondered what they might have been discussing? They seemed pretty nonchalant to be in each other's company. That thought alone made her want to sneak off for another puff.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Ron grunted as they approached the pair of them. Trust Ron to articulate everybody's thoughts in a crude manner.

"This is getting old, Weasley," Malfoy replied coldly. "I exist in this world, so deal with it. If you cant then ask for a fucking transfer."

"How about oh, I don't know, _you_ transfer to Azkaban? Could request for a double cell with _Father_."

"Ron, cut it out," Harry said sharply. Hermione wanted to laugh. It was strange to see Malfoy on the receiving end of insults. His smirk didn't seem that all saving now. "Why do you need to turn everything into an argument?"

"Harry, mate, I'm not –"

"Oh Ron," Ginny cut in, in her most pleading voice. "Please for the love of everything that is fucking sane, just leave Malfoy _be_. You don't need to acknowledge his presence, you know."

Hermione caught the look of hurt that flashed across Malfoy's face. It was brief, but she supposed it wasn't hard to spot it. His jaw went a little slack before they rammed shut and he turned straight to face the classroom door.

Thankfully, before Ron could reply, the giant door opened to reveal Slughorn, who looked immensely fatter. He spent the next few minutes shaking hands with Harry, Ginny, Ron and herself. She wanted the world to swallow her whole. She had enough attention since the end of the war, really.

It was when he finally let them into class that Hermione made a life changing decision. She saw that Harry was already partnering with Ginny and Ron was making a beeline towards the table beside them, softly tugging at her sleeve. She didn't want to spend three miserable hours listening to his breathy whispers. No, she really didn't.

She noticed Malfoy walking towards the corner of the classroom. Darting around her classmates as quick as she could, Hermione threw her bag next to Malfoy's. She ignored the look of surprise on his face. It didn't matter anyway. It eventually turned into a scowl.

Ron looked around, bemused. He didn't take too kindly to being left behind. Hermione sank lower in her seat, as though that would hide her from Ron's all seeing gaze.

"Coward," Malfoy muttered beside her.

She sent him the best death glare she could manage and the bastard rolled his eyes.

"Excellent! Excellent! It looks as though all of you are partnered up!" Slughorn glanced at his fresh batch of twenty something seventh years. "Well, now, today's potion is fairly simple. It's rather useful to know this…one would need it in an emergency –ah yes, Miss Granger…I was wondering when I'd see your hand. _Excellent_."

"It's the Enigmatic Potion," Hermione shared, "it helps one go unnoticed by people who have bad intentions against them…useful for people who aren't really good with Disillusionment Charms or well, Invisibility Cloaks, really…"

"Very good! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Slughorn beamed. "Now, might I ask exactly how you figured this out even before I gave you clues?"

"There's the roots of coconuts, the dried leaves of bananas and the I think this is the only Potion that calls for a very…tropical ensemble of ingredients," Hermione answered, pointing towards Slughorn's desk.

He nodded again. "Take another ten points for your sharp eyes, Miss Granger."

Hermione let her hand slide back down to the table. She suddenly remembered the days where Malfoy would mimic her jumping up and down to answer questions in class and she turned to give him another death glare.

When she did however, she found him staring at her unabashedly. It unnerved her. His face was a few inches away from hers and she could count his lashes if she wanted to.

"Impressive," he said. His voice held no trace of mocking her.

"Thanks' she replied, slowly turning back to focus on what Slughorn was saying.

The first half of Potions passed by without much disturbance. Aside from Ron's dejected looks that were sent her way, Hermione found working with Malfoy rather pleasant. He was quiet and meticulous, and he didn't speak unless necessary.

It was during the second hour of potions that she voiced out a thought that was on her mind.

"It isn't hard you know."

He was chopping up the coconut roots into a quarter of an inch. "I'm aware. The Enigmatic Potion calls for simple brewing instructions. I daresay Longbottom could attempt this without failing more than ten times."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "There. That's what I meant. You make it so easy for someone to dislike you." Her voice was quiet. She wasn't intent on embarrassing him. No, she just wanted to get her point across.

He looked up and stared at her for a few good seconds. "What the fuck do you want me to say to that Granger?"

She retreated a little into her own space. She wasn't really expecting hi mto flare up. "Nothing," she replied simply. "I just meant, working with yo uwsnt so hard over the past hour –"

"That's because I made sure I didn't utter a fucking word."

"Maybe you should do it more often."

"I certainly want to do it when I'm around you."

"Fine! Why bother sitting with me if you want to behave like a god damned zombie!"

Draco folded his arms across his chest. "You sat here, Granger. I didn't hold my wand to your temple – "

"No, that's what dear Aunt Bellatrix did."

"Oh will you shut up about my fucking dead aunt!" He was shouting now, and Hermione could see his grey eyes flashing darkly. "What the _hell_ do you want? I didn't beg for you company!"

"WELL YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL _SOMEBODY_ WANTS TO BENEAR YOU!"

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, step _out_ of class this instant!" Slughorn was waddling closer to them.

Hermione felt her blood boil. She also felt a twinge on guilt when she saw Malfoy packing his bag furiously. He knew he would have to bow out, everyone would have taken her side.

"You're such a frigid bitch, Granger," Malfoy's voice was cold. "I did nothing to you. You're upset – go and deal with your own shit and _don't_ take it out on me."

He left the classroom as Slughorn shouted after him. Slughrn finally reached her table, clasping his hands together. "Well…" he said, nervously, mopping at his sweaty forehead with his handkerchief. "That's that, I suppose…nasty temper…really nasty temper that boy has…"

Hermione avoided his concerned gaze. Instead, she locked eyes with her ebstfriends. Ron looked gleeful and she could see him already packing his things to join her. That didn't bother her. No it was the sad looks that Harry and Ginny shot her way that made her feel guilty.

It was as though they were trying to say _Really, Hermione? Did you really have to?_ She sighed as Ron slid into the seat next to her and began ruining the carefully chopped ingredients that Malfoy had prepared.

She needed to find Malfoy and apologize. And she suspected she knew where he was headed.

She raised her had and asked for permission to leave class.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ugh i wanted to lump chapters 2 &3 together, but i think it's best if it's separated. **

**In the mean time - enjoy! And I hope you let me know what you think :)**

**Nothing belongs to me, it all belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling~**

* * *

"Fucking bint," Draco muttered angrily under his breath. He aimed a hard kick at the suit of armor he was passing. It clanged horribly and it made him feel a little more satisfied.

What the hell had he done to deserve that? True, he had been an asshole to her back when they were younger, but ever since they locked eyes on the train two days ago he made a clear point of avoiding her. He nodded once, and she had stared back stonily. Fine, he thought. So they weren't going to forgive him.

That did not equate to him having to beg for their forgiveness right? What were they expecting exactly?

He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't realize that his feet had brought him back to the Astronomy Tower. All the better, as well, he thought gloomily. It was still bright out, and no student would come up here to study the skies. Besides, from the rumours that he'd heard, nobody really wanted to come up to where Dumbledore had died.

He chucked his bag down and sat beside it. It felt weird to be so alone in this place. Even back in sixth year, he had admirers. Sure, taking Dark Mark was a stupid thing to do, but he wasn't hated for it. He was revered for it.

But being back here now, being looked at as though he was nothing more than dirt…he pummeled his fist angrily into the stone floor. It drew blood and he studied the scraping on his knuckles carefully.

To bleed like that felt good. It felt as though he could _see_ some form of the damage that was present in his life. The glares, the whispers…it stung, but seeing himself physically injured like that…he could feel a little atonement.

"You should put some Dittany on that…"

"Fuck off, Granger," Draco said, not bothering to turn his head. He recognized the sound of her voice. He really wanted nothing more than to shove her out of the Astronomy Tower and lock the door behind him. He supposed he should have done that.

"Don't be crude," Granger chided, walking over to him. "I came up here to apologize."

"I don't want your shite apology."

Granger was in his line of vision now. He glared at her the best he could, hoping she would wither a little from his hostile look. She didn't exactly wither, but her eyes widened a little. Good.

"I didn't mean anything bad from that," Granger said now. She unslung her abg over her head and put it down beside her. "I meant that you're actually quite easy to work with –"

"Yeah, and that's because I didn't _say_ anything to you!"

"No! That's not – I – you're missing the point completely!"

"It's true," Draco growled, turning his head away. He was surprised he was still sitting here. He wanted to walk away but he knew he couldn't really go anywhere else. "You said it yourself, it's great to work with me when essentially, I'm not being _me._"

"But that's because you not being you means there's an absence of awful, hateful remarks!"

"That's not who I am."

"Then who are you, really?"

Draco looked back at Granger. Her elegant braid was a little loose even though it was only their second class of the day. There were a few wisps of curls hanging by her face and it made him notice the contour of her cheekbones.

"I thought," Draco replied, now losing his patience, "you came up here to _apologize_?"

For a moment, Granger looked close to hexing him. Then, she closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She exhaled and revealed her chocolate eyes to him. Although, in this light it was less chocolate but a little more hazel.

"I did, Malfoy," Granger said now in a voice of forced calm. "I –"

"So do it," Draco retorted, digging in his bag for his cigarettes. "Say your fucking _I'm sorry_ and then you can go back and skip happily with Freckles and Scarhead. No hard feelings, nothing to stain your perfect conscience..."

He was in the midst of putting the cigarette to his lips. It never made it there because what came next was so shocking he saw stars. He blinked a couple of times. He saw stars.

"_What the fuck?" _he spat out. He was boiling now. In a few short strides he had walked over to where Granger was retreating. "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?" he didn't really care that he was screaming now.

"YOU! THIS FUCKING PLACE! _EVERYONE!"_

She was shaking and Draco didn't know if it was anger or sadness. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard. "Don't _ever_ hit me again! Do you understand me?"

"Let go of me!"

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" He roared. He was only inches from her face and he was sure that she was going to cave. He could see it in her eyes anyway.

"I HATE YOU!" her scream was high pitched. It wasn't a shout, it was terrible, terrible suppressed rage that was leaving her lips. "I HATE THAT YOU WLAK THE EARTH WHILE TONKS IS DOWN UNDER. WHILE FRED – FRED IS _GONE_ BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR STUPID FAMILY!"

"WE DIDN'T KILL YOUR FUCKING FRIENDS, GRANGER!"

"_NO,_ BUT YOU SUPPORTED THE CAUSE THAT DID!"

"I had no choice!" Draco shouted back, just as angry. "Voldemort was going to murder my entire family! If we didn't play along –"

"Then you and your entire family – you're…you're cowards." Granger had composed herself. She was white, and her lips were pressed together. Draco wanted to slap the righteousness out of her but it wasn't like him to hit women. "You should have done what's right…not what would have saved your arse."

"You don't have a fucking clue what it's like to see your entire belief system collapsing, alright? You start doubting right from wrong, you – you – don't know if anything's a lie anymore! You just - you just don't know!"

"Then you should have made an effort to find out," Granger replied coldly.

Draco walked away from her, back to where his backpack was. He felt sick inside. Nobody confronted him that way. He always felt as though he was the victim…because he _was_ wasn't he?

Voldemort used endless Legilimency on him. He was tortured into taking the Dark Mark…what about his actions spelt out cowardice? He was simply trying to make sure his mother didn't die at the hands of twisted Death Eaters who were looking for a piece of flesh…

His hand was shaking as he retrieved a new stick from his dwindling supply of cigarettes. He stuck it to his lips and lit it with the tip of his wand.

"Hey…Malfoy, I'm sorry – I – "

"Granger, please go away," Draco said quietly. He wasn't in the mood for another row. No, he just wanted to be left alone to his own thoughts. "I'll tell Slughorn you cleared things up with me. Just leave me alone."

"Mal – Draco, I'm sorry, I didn't mean –"

"Please, go way. I really don't want to see your face or hear your voice right now. We can row another time, alright?"

Draco could still see her standing beside him, hovering as though unsure of what to do next. For someone really bright, she was behaving very stupidly.

She finally left, taking her backpack with her and that was when Draco allowed a single drop of liquid to slide down his face.

* * *

"So how did it go?"

"It went alright," Hermione hedged. Truth be told she had never felt more disgusted with herself than before. There was something very unsettling about breaking Malfoy, she thought.

"Hermione…he's been missing since Potions," Ginny whispered to her in a low voice. "I mean, I know that's not a crime…but I think it's a little weird."

Hermione put down the book she was attempting to read. It was no use. She'd been staring at the Ancient Runes again and again but nothing was making sense. She was as close as figuring the complicated Runes out as Malfoy was about to suddenly appear and tell her that everything was _not_ her fault.

Harry and Ron had given up trying to talk to her since dinner and Hermione had gratefully retreated back to the Common Room to ponder over her actions. She figured it was no good to pick at her dinner and glance a million times at the table where Malfoy usually sat at.

On one hand, it felt good to let him know that he was part of the whole messy affair that killed so many good wizards. He was responsible for Dumbledore's death too, she reminded herself. She tried to ignore the small voice in her head that was Harry's voice, telling her how he hesitated and it was Snape who'd done the job.

"It went badly, Gin," Hermione confessed softly to the redhead beside her. Ginny looked up at her from her Transfiguration homework but made no comment, indicating that Hermione should continue. "I said some really mean things…and I don't know, it seemed to be true in my _head_ but when I say it out loud…"

"What exactly _did_ you say, Hermione?"

Hermione opened her mouth and launched into the story of her brief encounter with Malfoy. She could feel her skin breaking out in goosebumps whenever she felt a twinge of guilt. When she had finished, Ginny had that hard look on her face.

"You want my opinion?" Ginny asked carefully, laying her quill down.

Hermione rolled her eyes impatiently. "Of course I do, Gin! You don't see me talking to Harry or Ron about this though do you?"

"You're not going to like it."

"Try me."

"Fine," Ginny replied, gathering her flaming hair and starting to it into an elegant braid of sorts. "You shouldn't have gone off on him like that. You already stomped on his ego during Potions –"

"I don't believe it! He's been taking the mickey out of us for _years_ –"

"You see?" Ginny quickly answered, still separating her hair into three big chunks. "That's his problem. You shouldn't have made it yours. You fought a war to get rid of all these prejudice…and it's like we're living it up here at Hogwarts."

"You might be on to something," Hermione said, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She had seen how the professors and classmates looked at Malfoy. It was worse than spite. "I don't know…it just felt so good to show him how much he wronged us, you know?"

"There isn't a them and us anymore…it's just us altogether now," Ginny reminded her gently.

Hermione smiled weakly. "You know, sometimes you surprise me. Where do you find the time to think about these sorts of things Ginny? I feel so tired all the time…"

"I think you used up all your good energy during the war," Ginny said, laughing. She secured the end of her braid with a gold hair tie.

"And I think, I owe Draco Malfoy an apology," Hermione said softly. "I can't believe I took it out on him though."

"You're only human," Ginny shrugged. "You've suppressed all this inside for so many years…it's bound to come out somehow. Malfoy simply got the full blast…Ron got it in small doses although Merlin help him, he'd never notice…"

Hermione laughed inspite of herself. "Am I really getting that bad?"

"Not bad per se…it's just that you tend to simmer and explode more now."

Hermione started packing her bag, tired from the events of the first day back. She wanted to lie in her four-poster and sleep it off…maybe even plan her apology for when she next saw Malfoy.

"I'm going up to bed," she announced, yawning. "Are you coming with?"

Ginny flashed her a cheeky smile. "I'm waiting up for Harry."

Hermione shook her head and retreated back to her room. She honestly can't recall when she saw two people more in love than Harry and Ginny.

* * *

Draco opened his eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the light that was filtering into his room. His room wasn't located in the dungeons anymore. No, he was in a room where sunlight flooded in and he could oversee the Quidditch stands right from his bedroom window.

He was still getting used to it. He had spent the better half of his years at Hogwarts in the cool darkness of the dungeons. It felt weird to be up here.

Because of the small student population - Draco reckoned it was no more than fifty students in total – McGonagall had decided there was no use for splitting them into their various Common Rooms. No, the rest of the student population was holed up in the Gryffindor Tower only now they called it the _Major Common Room_.

McGonagall had stressed repeatedly how unity was the key to survival. He thought of his current sleeping headquarters and laughed bitterly. So much for unity. They had chucked him here because most of the parents of the First and Second years refused to have him sleeping in the same tower as their children.

He swung his legs out of bed, immediately regretting skipping so many classes yesterday. It was going to be a bitch to catch up with later tonight.

It wasn't Granger's words that affected him. It was the way she seemed so convinced that he was the cause for everything bad. He wanted to tell her that he didn't execute all those sordid plans – no, that was Voldemort himself.

Yet, a nagging voice in his head told him that he wasn't the _victim_. He was just as much part of it as any of the Death Eaters were. It made him sick to the stomach to think of that.

That was the main reason why he had sat out of all his classes yesterday. Just the thought of facing his classmates…he wondered how many of them had their families killed? Close friends? Of course they'd think he was partly to blame…

There were a few smart raps on his door. He sighed. It was probably McGonagall here to lecture him for missing so many classes.

He trudged out of him room still a little half asleep, and pulled open the portrait door, eager to get over with the scolding.

The first thing he noticed was an absence of the pointed hat. Then he noted the familiar curls, the terse expression.

"Granger," he greeted curtly.

"Malfoy," she returned. She bit her lower lip. "Could we – um, could we talk for a moment?"

"I think you've made your point quite clear yesterday, Granger," Draco replied coldly. "I don't need to hear it all over again." He noticed her eyes traveling distractedly over his chest.

Fuck. He should have thrown on a t-shirt. He silently thanked the stars it wasn't McGonagall at the door. That would have made it all that much more awkward. He crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yesterday was a mistake," Granger said slowly. She looked him in the eye when she said it. "I was out of line…_twice_, and I felt as though I owed you an apology for that, you know?"

"You do," Draco clarified. She opened her mouth to retort, but changed her decision at the last minutes. She closed it back and nodded her head instead. They continued looking at each other for a few stretched out seconds. "Fine, come on in."

He stepped back into the small space, and Granger followed him in. She was looking around his living headquarters. "Wow," she breathed, as she passed a bookcase that was a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, containing all his books that he brought from the Manor. He figured it was going to be a quiet and lonely year for him…

"So," Granger asked, attempting to make conversation. "How'd you cut this deal again? This place looks gorgeous…with your own fireplace and everything…"

Draco turned over his shoulder and smirked at her. "The parents of the younger kids didn't want me in the same sleeping room as their children…afraid I'll murder them... so the school and the Ministry came to a compromise…and gave me this." He brandished his arm grandly around the small space as though it was a castle of sorts.

"Oh."

Good, Draco thought. That ought to shut her up. He walked over to the small kitchenette. He filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove.

"So do you like it here then?"

"I've only been here a day."

"Right…" Granger nodded. She fiddled nervously, following him into the kitchen.

This was getting painful, Draco thought. "What's that you've got there?" he asked, pointing at the white bag she was holding.

"Oh," her face brightened considerably. "I brought you some – um – toast. I figured coming with food is always better than coming empty handed –"

"Toast is good," Draco cut her off. It was too early to listen to her ramblings. The kettle whistled and Draco got up and Summoned two mugs and two tea bags.

He filled each mug to the brim with boiling water and added the tea bags to it. Levitating the mugs over to where Granger was standing by the kitchen counter, he carefully sat it down on the marble countertop. "So," he said, looking at her.

Granger extracted a piece of toast that she had brought with her. It was French toast. She took a small nibble before she looked at Draco. "I'm really sorry about what I said yesterday."

Draco took his time to reply. He wanted to ask her a fair few questions, but he wasn't sure if he should. He grabbed a piece of toast as well, and bought time while he chomped on it. "Did you mean it?" he asked finally. "The part about me causing it…my family and all that."

Hermione's wand hovered above her mug of tea. It was creating soft ripples in the beverage. She looked at him through her lashes, gnawing terribly on her lip. "Yes and no," she said softly. "I felt as though you got off easy…even though you weren't doing the right thing…but I've also come to realize that you were doing what you had to."

"The right thing," Draco said slowly, cupping his hands around the warm mug, "was making sure my mother wasn't killed. That was the only thought on my mind, at that time. I assure you I wasn't rooting for Voldemort to finish you or Potty and Weasel off."

She rolled her eyes, but her features softened. They lapsed back into silence until Granger broke it once more. "Did _you_ mean any of the things you said then? Growing up?"

Draco smiled a little. "Yes and no," he replied, taking in her slightly stunned expression. Maybe it wasn't the answer she as hoping to get. "I thought that it was true…simply based on what my peers, family members and basically _everyone_ around me told me. But no, when I was _finally_ in Voldemort's presence…I realized it was a bunch of crap…designed to keep people under his thumb…divide and conquer."

"I'm sorry," Granger said. She sounded genuinely upset, and Draco couldn't help but look at her again. She dipped her finger into her tea and begun tracing circles on the brim of her mug. "For what I said and for whatever belief-system-changing you mentioned yesterday."

"I didn't want anyone to die," Draco said. It was true. A stubborn part of him still hoped during the war that most of the people would come out unscathed. Seeing Charity Burbage die in his home was disturbing enough. He had polished off the toast and wiped his hand on a paper napkin nearby. He didn't realize how hungry he was. "I wasn't praying and hoping that you lot would need to die you know."

Granger laughed a small laugh. It was dry, emotionless. "You've said that already...and that surprises me."

"You think I'm made of stone?"

"Yeah," she replied, without hesitation. "Right up to now, that's how I see you in my head. Cold and unfeeling."

He narrowed his eyes at her, ready to snap her head off. He almost did too, until he realized that she was simply being honest. He decided he would be too. "And I think you're a snob. A…brave snob. But snob nonetheless."

Draco noticed how she almost smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment." She glanced at her watch. "We have another twenty minutes before we're due for breakfast." She rummaged around her backpack and came up with her pack of Salems. She offered one to him, as though to say _might as well._

He didn't really like her taste in cigarettes but he took one anyways. It was the only thing he could think to do.

They smoked in silence. It didn't feel awkward, but it didn't feel like home either.

"You missed a lot in Ancient Runes yesterday."

Draco groaned. That was probably going to be the most difficult subject to catch up with. "I'll see if Professor Babbling will give me a few hours of a catch up session…"

"Or…"

"Or what?"

"Or I could help you," she said it in the most nonchalant manner. It wasn't meant to be condescending, Draco noted, but begged for him to take it. For a moment, Draco considered declining her offer. Why should he do something just so she could clear her conscience?

Then he realized that till next June, she would probably be the only one stupid enough to bother talking to him.

"Fine," he groused, tapping his ash into the ashtray nearby.

"You don't have to sound _so_ put off…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want flowers of thanks? It's just _one_ Ancient Runes lesson, Granger…"

"You're impossible, do you know that?"

Draco smirked. Granger allowed a small pull at the side of her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**I think most people are tired of the Hogwarts DRAMIONE?**

**Ah well, here's a chapter anyways!**

**Nothing belongs to me, it all belongs to JK Rowling :)**

* * *

It was a late Saturday evening when Hermione decided that out of all her classes this term, Ancient Runes was the toughest. She'd spent the better half of her first month back in school locked away in the library, trying her hardest to crack the rune puzzles that were assigned to them.

While Harry and Ron were still behaving as though they were first-years, Hermione had no intention to fall behind on her studies. Looking up from her dusty textbook, she recalled the conversation she had with Ginny only hours earlier.

"_Honestly, Hermione," Ginny said as they changed out into their Muggle wear since it was a Saturday, "why don't you give yourself a break? Come to Hogsmeade with me…it'll be just us girls…we can ditch Ron and Harry." _

_Hermione smiled feebly, buttoning her jeans. "I can't, Gin. You know how much work I have…if I spend the afternoon in Hogsmeade, I'd have to have another study session on Sunday night and McGonagall said that if I overslept again, no matter the reason, she's handing out detentions."_

_She noticed Ginny hunting around her bed for something. Realizing it was her favourite cherry lipstick, Hermione pulled out one from her nightstand drawer and tossed it at Ginny. She never understood why half the contents of Ginny's trunk was spread out on her bed. Where in the hell did she find the space to sleep?_

"_I just don't get it, Hermione," Ginny said swiping the lipstick onto her bottom lip first before carefully tracing her upper lip. "You're the Hermione Granger. You could even get a position on the Holyhead Harpies if you'd wanted…you don't need your NEWTs…you're pretty set to go."_

"_I don't want to get in based on my past reputation –"_

"_But it's nothing less than stellar –"_

"_Dumbledore left us a mission. Ginny, and we did it. I don't know how to explain to you that I don't think Horcrux hunting is a measure of my true ability," Hermione reasoned, looking at her friend, who was semi-glaring at her, hands on her hips. "Look, would you like it if you got into the Holyhead Harpies because of Harry? Would you agree to joining the team if they didn't want to set up a trial for you, determine if you're good enough and things like that?"_

"_Of course not!"_

"_Well…it's the same for me," Hermione said, wishing Ginny would understand. "I don't want to get a higher position in the Ministry simply because of what happened last year. I want to know that I achieved it."_

_Ginny contemplated it for another second or two, before snorting. "You're a masochist, that's what." She laughed and ducked as Hermione chucked a pillow at her head._

"Granger?"

"Huh – what?" Hermione snapped back to reality, looking away from the window that overlooked the Giant Lake. It was autumn and the lake was covered with fallen orange leaves. It was a beautiful sight.

"I asked you if anybody was sitting here?" It was Draco and he stood a few inches away from her table, clad in a simple sweater and khakis.

"Oh," Hermione quickly replied, moving her stacks of parchment aside to make room for him. "Er – no, I guess not."

"You guess not?" Draco asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I could sit somewhere else if you'd prefer."

"No – um, I think it's fine if you want to sit here," Hermione said, still rearranging her things around the table. She scooted her chair a little to the right and Draco sat down on the empty chair beside her. "There's no one coming anyway."

"Alright," Draco said with a nod, "thanks."

Watching him from the corner of her eye Hermione was sure that he had chosen to sit next to her because of her offer to help him out in Ancient Runes. However, as the minutes slowly ticked away, she realized that he had no intentions of asking for her help, and had instead chosen to simply study with her.

It was about two hours after he sat down that Hermione heard him utter an angry but quiet "Fuck." He still wasn't looking her way and she decided that maybe he'd made an error on his parchment. Well, if he'd wanted her help he would've asked.

"Fucking shit."

"Mother fucking basta-"

"Not that I don't enjoy listening to a commentary of your preferred expletives," Hermione interrupted, unable to tolerate his mutterings anymore, "but could you _please_ not be so vulgar?"

"It's this stupid essay," Draco groused, pushing his parchment that was three quarters way filled towards her. "Every time I come up with a brilliant idea, it's already been done and I keep having to re-write or adjust what "ive written previously."

Frowning at him, Hermione pulled his essay towards her and almost burst out laughing when she read the essay he'd been assigned in their Muggle Studies class. _Compare and contrast, the different ways an Oven and a Bicycle can be improvised with Magic. _As her eyes travelled further on, she could help but break out in a wide smile. _An electric bicycle would solve the need for a person to put in much effort in pedaling….While an oven has a timer, it should be equipped with the right magic to stop when food is cooked to perfection and not simply when the timer buzzes…._

"What's so funny?" Draco asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you see what I mean? An electric bicycle apparently has been in existence for a long time. It's also known as a motorbike."

"I'm sorry," Hermione replied, trying to suppress her laughter but failing miserably. "But it's so comical, the way you see a bicycle and the way I do."

"What do you mean?"

"I've always thought it was interesting the way wizards see us Muggles, you know?" Hermione said, leaning on her elbows as she spoke. "You see, a wizard would have no use for a bicycle. They have brooms, racing brooms and all sorts of transportation modes. But for a muggle, we do rely on bicycles, cars, trucks, things like that to get us from place to place."

"You're not a Muggle," Draco said so quietly that Hermione had to strain her ears to listen for his words. "You're a witch, and a pretty damned good one at that. Probably the best. So don't refer to yourself as a Muggle."

"Oh," Hemrione said, a little shocked as she cupped her hand over her mouth. "Um, it's just out of habit I guess. I mean I do belong to both worlds so when I'm back at home, I operate like a Muggle and I guess from time to time I still think of myself as a Muggle."

"You are anything _but_ a Muggle," Draco replied not looking at her but pulling back his essay from her. They were silent for a few seconds, both not really knowing where to proceed from Draco's statement. He sighed and finally looked at her. "I've gone and fucked things up with you haven't I?" he asked, his silver eyes boring into hers.

Hermione laughed. "You really haven't," she replied. "It's just so strange to see you pay me a compliment. The muggle phrase for it would be that you're doing a three-sixty on me."

Draco chuckled and Hermione noticed how his face was so free form worry. It made him seem like a whole new person. "What do you say to dinner?" Draco asked, glancing down at his watch. "It's close to eight and I've got some lasagna heating up –"

"_There _you are!"

Draco stopped talking abruptly and Hermione jerked her head up to find the source of the voice. She met three pairs of eyes, two of them looking curiously at her while the blue one was narrowed in dislike.

"You're back from Hogsmeade already?" Hermione asked, smiling at Ginny, who was clutching Harry's hand.

Ginny opened her mouth to answer but Ron beat her to it. "We've been back for _hours_ and we tried finding you but we couldn't! Did you cast an Unplottable charm on yourself again? So you could hide out here with _him_?" Ron jerked his head irritably in Draco's direction while Ginny stamped on his foot hard.

"I did no such thing!" Hermione exclaimed getting up to pack her things.

"Don't be so _rude_," Ginny hissed, frowning at her brother.

"Come on, Hermione," Ron said jerking his head towards the entrance of the library. He turned to Harry and Ginny. "Let's go, Harry...Ginny can keep Hermione company while she packs."

Hermione was flushing a deep red and she noted how the carefree look from Draco's face was gone. Instead, a slightly crossed expression had replaced it. Hen her bag was fully packed, she turned to him somewhat regretfully. "So about dinner – "she begun.

"It's fine," Draco responded with a quick nod. "You should go, Weasley's waiting for you."

"Another time?" Hermione tried, not wanting his feelings to be snubbed.

"Yeah, maybe," He replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Hermione made her way around the table and walked the few steps that brought her towards Ginny who cast another quick glance at Draco before turning back to her. Together, they both marched to the front of the library, as Hermione listened to Ginny's talk about Hogsmeade and how much she and Harry begged Ron not to flirt with Rosmerta. Hermione nodded as her friend spoke, her mind preoccupied with the thought that tonight, Draco Malfoy was going back to his lonely dormitory to have a lasagna by himself.

* * *

Hermione had little time to ponder over Draco's dinner invitation, however. She spent the entire Sunday to Thursday studying for a Transfiguration quiz that was going to take place this coming Friday. Add that to the fact that Draco studiously avoided all eye contact with her since Sunday morning, Hermione had let the issue rest temporarily. She would talk to him once the quiz was over.

She woke up Friday morning, a little blurry eyed, quietly pulling her robes on without much talking. Ginny was the same, the only difference being that she muttered under her breath every few minutes, trying to cramp in as much as she could before the quiz.

As they made their way down to the common room, Hermione nudged Ginny with her elbow. "I didn't realize you studied for quizzes," she said, as Ginny put her hair up into a pretty ponytail. "You missed a strand," Hermione added, handing the stray lock of hair for Ginny to clasp.

Ginny smiled guiltily. "Well…it was what you said the other day that got to me I guess," she confessed. "I didn't realize people were going to start associating me with Harry that much. But I guess if we continue being a couple they would. And I want to be known for _me_ and not just as the girl who was riding off Harry Potter's tailcoats."

"Oh Gin," Hermione said, throwing an arm around her friend, "I'm so happy for you!"

"And I told Harry too," Ginny said, as they sat down in the puffy armchairs, waiting for Harry and Ron. "He agreed that he hated the special treatment that he's going to get everywhere he goes. He just wants to be Harry. Not _Harry The Saviour."_

"Harry's funny like that," Hermione said, earning a smack from Ginny. She laughed and stopped when her mind drifted elsewhere. This was why she kept herself occupied since Saturday. Whenever she was relaxed and at ease, her mind would drift back to how she's bailed on Draco so easily. She still felt bad about it. "Could I ask your opinion about something?"

"Does it have to do with a certain Draco Malfoy?" Ginny asked, grinning slyly.

Hermione rolled her eyes but carried on anyway. "Did you know that he invited me to have dinner back at his dormitory –"

"The one he has all to himself right?" Ginny interrupted wistfully. Hermione ahd told her about his special headquarters and Ginny couldn't stop mentioning how great it would be if harry was given the same treatment. This was of course until Ron threatened to write back to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about Ginny's snogging escapades with Harry.

"Yeah, that," Hermione replied easily. "I said no because you guys showed up. If you hadn't I would probably have had dinner with him!"

Ginny raised her eyebrows and moved behind Hermione. Gathering Hermione's hair into a bunch, she began to braid it neatly. "I guess there's nothing wrong with that. From what Harry told me, you're free to be friends with whomever you want."

"Did he really say that?" Hermione asked, twisting around only to have Ginny firmly twist her body back into place.

"Yeah," Ginny replied. "He sort of told Ron off when they were out flying the other day. Said Ron wouldn't shut up about your friendship with Draco."

"If you could call it that," Hermione muttered darkly. "We haven't spoken since Saturday."

"Well…from what you told me, he sat beside you, he extended the invitation and he was nice about it when you turned it down. Maybe do something friendly for him this time," Ginny said, as she reached for her wand to conjure a nice secure band to keep the elegant braid in place. "You're all done," she informed Hermione just as Harry and Ron walked down the stairs.

The four of them walked back to the Great hall, talking about nothing in particular until Ron pulled Hermione away from Harry and Ginny for abit.

"Ron, do we really have to talk about whatever it is now?" Hermione asked, wincing as her stomach rumbled loudly. "I really hate to sit for tests on an empty stomach…"

"Don't worry, I just want to have a quick word without anyone knowing," Ron said still not slowing down his pace as he walked ahead.

They finally came to a stop when they reached a deserted corridor.

"Ronald, what is it?" Hermione asked when Ronald took up pacing instead of talking.

"It's – you're not going to like it," he replied gravely.

"What is it?" Hermione asked now, alarmed. "Is it your parents?"

"No – no, they're fine," Ron waved her off absently. He looked into her eyes again before continuing. "It's about Malfoy."

"Oh." Why wasn't she surprised? Of course Ron would have said something about that sooner or later.

"I just wanted to ask you a few questions, without Harry or Ginny jumping down my throat for it…" Ron said sheepishly as he fiddled with the bag strap across his chest.

"Alright, then," Hermione conceded. Honestly, how bad could it get? She hoped it wasn't something that required her to come up with deep, thoughtful answers because she didn't want to waste energy on this when she had a giant quiz up next.

"Okay," Ron said, as though steeling his nerves for war. "Do you really forgive him?"

Hermione was a little taken aback by his question. Talk about taking it slow! "I'm not sure, Ron."

"Yes or no Hermione?"

"When you say forgive –"

"At the Manor, when Bellatrix did this," Ron reached out to trace a faint scar on Hermione's neck. "Do you forgive him for this? For blabbing to Rita Skeeter when we were fourth years? For what almost happened to Buckbeak?"

Hermione blinked once, then twice. Ron really knew how to hold a grudge. While Hermione knew these things did happen, she didn't necessarily think of them when she looked at Draco. "I guess – I guess I can forgive it if he's proven that he's making up for it."

"Is he?" Ron asked, frowning.

"I think – I think he's _trying_ Ron," Hermione said quietly. "I think he's trying not to be a complete arsehole."

"Okay," Ron said, nodding his head. "Okay," he repeated, exhaling loudly. "I guess that's it."

"Could I ask what brought about this slew of questions?" Hermione asked, as they turned and resumed walking back down to the Great Hall.

"Harry," Ron answered. He scrunched up his face for abit, before adding, "And Ginny too, I suppose. They told me to stop being…well _me_ about it, because you're free to do whatever you like and my duty as your friend is to support you."

"You can be really sweet sometimes, Ronald Weasley," Hermione said, laughing as she nudged him using her shoulders.

"And yet, you don't want to be my girlfriend," Ron said dramatically. Even though he meant it as a joke, Hermione could hear the hurt that was laced between his words.

"We gave it a go – we were _horrible_ at it," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Remember how your Mum banished us out into the garden because we were constantly fighting?"

Ron let out a loud laugh. "Yeah, you're right…we're rubbish at it…it was just always expected that we'd get together, and when we did…I guess I figured it would work itself out eventually."

"We'd probably learn to compromise better…but I don't think that's how either of us deserve to spend the rest of our lives."

"You're right," Ron said, as they paused in front of the doors to the Great hall. "I never told you this, Hermione, but I'm glad that you bothered giving us a chance…and I'm glad that we're friends again. It's hard not being friends with you."

Hermione flashed him a genuine smile and hooked arms with him. "Me too, Ron…me too."

* * *

For the third time that week, Draco skipped his breakfast. He wasn't in the mood to sit by himself, and he wasn't really sure why he took Hermione's rejection so badly. _Rescheduling_, he reminded himself. She didn't flat out say no, did she?

He stared at the mirror above his bureau. He wondered what his father might think of him, here at Hogwarts, honestly trying to be friends with Hermione Granger.

She was…interesting to say the least. He learnt so much about her, just by spending some time with her. He found it strange that she picked up smoking (or maybe she did all along, he'd never know), but he also found that it suited her just fine.

That day while they sat talking at his kitchen island, it felt as though he really had a friend again. They discussed almost everything from Ministry affairs to the latest editions of their textbook and Draco wasn't bored for a single second. It fascinated him that her general knowledge was boundless.

He'd gotten a letter from his mother, describing how sad and tired she was and he'd hidden himself away form Hermione, feeling supremely guilty that he was in fact rebuilding his life. How could he do that when his mother was suffering?

And then he'd gotten another letter on Friday morning, his mother telling him how they'd lessened her burdens and that she was making new friends, helping her pass her days by. He should look to starting fresh too, she'd advised. And so, that following Saturday he tried.

Sighing once more, Draco picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, mentally preparing himself for the quiz that they were about to take in a matter of minutes.

The first thing he noticed when he arrived at Transfiguration was how Hermione had her hair in a pretty braid, with streaks of gold and red amongst the pleat. It was very Gryffindor of her, he noted. He took his usual seat at the back of the class and returned Hermione's smile less than enthusiastically.

She held up her finger to Harry who was talking, and Draco supposed she was excusing herself. Harry nodded before turning around to glance at Draco, raising his hand in a half wave. Draco nodded back politely. Merlin, what the fuck was going on? Even She-Weasel flashed him a tight smile.

"Hey!"

Draco looked up to see that Hermione was in front of him, flashing him her prefect rows of white. She looked a little nervous from his lack of response.

"Hey," he said, his tone a little calmer than hers. It was his nerves that made him a little more subdued, as strange as it may have seemed. It was also because the entire class had gone eerily quiet and then broke out into whispers again as they watched the pair of them.

"So, we were going to study in the library after dinner today," Hermione said, clutching the tip of his table with her fingertips. "And I was wondering if you'd like to join us?"

"You meaning you, Potter, Weasley and his sister?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Hermione said. "Just us four. They need my help for Tranfiguration and Harry's really good at DADA and I could use some help with Ancient –"

"Ok," Draco replied, to cut off her ramblings. It was also because he was sick of the rest of the class ogling him.

"Okay?" Hermione asked, surprise written all over her face.

"After dinner. I'll be there."

"Okay," Hermione said, smiling once more. "Great!" She began walking back to her friends before turning around to say, "Good luck for later!"

He could only nod in response because Professor McGonagall walked in, levitating a sizable stack of parchments. Their quiz was about to begin. He only half-listened to the old Professor while she told them that she would not hesitate to fail them immediately if they even so much as _thought_ of cheating.

Cracking his knuckles, Draco dipped his quill into his inkpot, carefully shaking off the excess as he waited for his test to zoom over to his desk. He snuck a glance at Hermione, who had her lips pressed together, nodding ever so slightly as though checking off an invisible list in her head.

His parchment landed neatly in front of him. He looked at the giant hourglass placed on McGonagall's desk and turned his paper over when she flipped the hourglass.

The paper was a relatively easy one, Draco figured. He'd read and re-read his Transfiguration textbook mostly out of boredom and he realized that it paid off now. Most of the questions were the nitty-gritty kind, where if you didn't pay attention to the small things in the textbook, you wouldn't be able to answer.

He was almost done, and was just re-reading his answers, thinking of the early lunch he might enjoy before his next class when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He nearly jumped out of his seat.

"Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall began kindly, and Draco knew that this wasn't good at all. "You've got a letter – perhaps…perhaps you should read it outside."

"Where is it?" Draco asked, getting to his feet so fast his chair fell back with a loud thud. He grabbed the manila parchment from the Professor and began pulling it open. It contained three short lines, and it was heavy with inkblots from what Draco suspected, could only be tears.

_Father died._

_They said he went without pain._

_Don't come home._

Hands trembling, he stuffed everything into his bag as quick as he could. He needed to get out of here as fast as he could. Preferably before the class sees him lose control.

"Draco," McGonagall said, "we wont count this toward your final grade – you can retake this test when you're up to it."

"The answers there are perfect," Draco sneered. "I don't want to waste my fucking time redoing this shit test!"

"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall glared at him so ferociously that Draco was sure he was going to burst into flames.

"I don't fucking need this right now," he muttered before kicking his desk and causing a few of the girls in his class to scream. Bints, he thought. They survived a war but couldn't handle a loud noise. Where was the sense in that?

Not bothering to bid anyone goodbye, Draco turned and left, allowing the classroom door to fall with a bang behind him.

* * *

Hermione didn't realize what she was doing until Ginny tugged on her sleeve hard. "What are you doing?" Ginny whispered.

"Did you see what happened? Something bad must have happened! He was fine moments ago when we were talking!" Hermione whispered back as she waved her wand to roll and seal her parchment. "Professor," she called out, "I'm done."

"Miss Granger, you still have a good twenty minutes left," Professor McGonagall replied, looking at the hourglass and then back at Hermione. "Might I suggest that you take this time to look over your answers?"

"I promise you Professor, the answers are fine," Hermione said in her most polite voice. She looked out of the corner of her eye and noticed Ginny furiously scolding Ron and Harry so that they would pack up and leave with her.

"We're done too, Professor," Ginny announced sweetly, getting to her feet.

"Oh so be it!" Professor McGonagall said, shaking he head. She knew they were leaving after Draco. She looked more exasperated than shocked that her favourite students were leaving early. "It is _your_ grade afterall."

Hermione waved her wand and sent their answers whizzing back to the desk as they exited the classroom before Professor McGonagall could say another word.

Hermione broke into a run, and as Ginny kept up with her, she could hear Ron asking over the sounds of their footsteps, "Tell me again why we're doing this, Hermione? I thought saving people was Harry's thing!"

"Hey!" Harry protested, even though he was laughing.

"We're doing this Ron, because he looked as though something died!" Ginny replied as they turned into a corner.

"But it isn't our problem!" Ron replied agitatedly as they headed down the narrow passageway. He spotted the male lavatory and pulled Harry backwards, jerking his head in that direction. Hermione and Ginny skidded to a halt and followed suit.

Using his fingertips, Ron pushed the door slightly ajar. Hermione gasped and Ginny let out a low whistle. The mirrors were cracked in several places and a sink was broken. Draco was watching them through his cracked reflection.

Slowly, he turned around, and Hermione noticed his bloodied knuckles. "Weasley's right," he said quietly. "_Somebody_ - not something - died."

"Your father?" Harry asked, looking him squarely in the eye.

Draco nodded, and turned again to smash the last unbroken mirror that was hanging above the sink.


End file.
